Dear ACS Families,
People often ask me what makes an ACS education different from other options in Beirut? It's a great question.
Yes, we want to be known as a rigorous academic program that prepares students well for universities, and we certainly do that. We know from anecdotal evidence that ACS graduates are particularly well prepared for the university experience. In the coming years, we'd like to systematically survey recent graduates to have a more precise understanding of what aspects of an ACS education have served them well. We'd also like to know where we might be able to do a better job.
But education is so much more than preparing students for university. We want our students to be active, engaged, and empathetic citizens, and so many of them are. ACS students are invested in their community, both here at school and outside of our campus. Just last week, ACS high school students visited eight NGOs in Beirut to see how they might be able to help. We also hosted an NGO open house in our gym last week, with great representations from a wide array of NGO organizations and initiatives. ACS students have their own cause-specific clubs, and these were also represented at the fair.
The kind of leadership qualities that ACS students exhibit has been on full display over the past few months. They have hosted the Lebanon Model United Nations, they have organized and produced the first TEDx Youth event in Lebanon, and they've created a Tiny Desk concert series for our talented musicians. This doesn't happen unless students are in an environment that encourages, inspires, and supports them. Training students to think creatively, to be problem-solvers, to advocate for themselves, to question critically, and to act with diplomacy, respect, and tact—these are all things that we teach students from the earliest years of their educational experience at ACS. It is so much a part of what we do that we sometimes take it for granted. We shouldn't.
I have two important announcements, both about next year. First, the updated tuition link with the schedule of payments can be found here. Second, the 2022/23 school calendar is also ready for viewing. The biggest difference with the calendar is that that we will be closed for fall break from November 21-25, as both Lebanese Independence Day and American Thanksgiving fall during this week. Please know that we have added 5 school days to the calendar.
My next newsletter will be on Friday, April 8.
Sincerely,